Scented
by toyherb
Summary: It was a downward spiral on a roller coaster. Fun, thrilling, and everyone thought he was crazy. That's what it was like to fall in love with Oliver Bermingham. To be seduced by him and to adore each other in every way possible. [testing the waters with this fic - deeply appreciate feedback! Title pending]


So I wrote this summer of 2014 I think and I came back to it a few months ago, really feeling the OTP. But I also don't entirely like what I wrote here. A regular person would rewrite and get a beta, but here I am just posting it. BUT I'm posting, asking for you to give me advice about this chapter. It seems rather dull to me. (The dialogue is awkward and so is some of the bullshit towards the end! I'm better than this, dammit!) So, please, even if you think it's fine as-is, I'd like some help.

Do note that this fanfiction will be updated (eventually). I'll be posting it on archiveofourown under username toyherb. It will be great! It will be lovey dovey! It will probably have smut!

Smut-free version will be posted here, to fanfic. :)

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Ivan sniffed at the flower. It was a toyherb; top-quality and freshly picked that day. The new farmer had given it to him for the Flower Festival, as he had been doing for the past few days. During the Flower Festival, which started on Sunday, whoever gave other people the most flowers won! There was no real prize to this festival; it was fun as long as everyone could get a gift.

The flower was pleasant-smelling and a favorite if Ivan's. Ivan had received many flowers from other villagers, but the farmer's flowers always had a certain charm to them. Perhaps it was this particular farmer, or a talent of farmers in general. Ivan would not know; the last farmer had not been so social.

Ivan sighed and tucked the flower into his handkerchief pocket so the flower stuck out. Zephyr Town's people gradually congregated in the square as noon approached, when the winner would be announced. Ivan was certain the new farmer, Oliver, would win. After all, he had received a present from Oliver each day himself, and surely others were receiving presents, too. Oliver was that diligent, especially to hand out such fresh, quality flowers.

He tucked a stray hair behind his ears and stood with his brother, Dirk, and Sherry, the mayor's daughter. Until noon, they would chat as they usually did before festivals started.

"Who'd you get flowers from, Ivan?" Sherry asked.

Ivan nodded. "Besides the usual, Mr. Oliver gave this to me." He gestured to the flower on his coat. "He gave one to me everyday. Impressive, isn't it?"

"Wow, every day?!" Dirk exclaimed.

Ivan looked at him incredulously.

"It's so pretty. I wish I got one - oh, but I'm happy to have gotten flowers from all my friends and loved ones, though!" Sherry giggled. She was so considerate; how was she even a real person?

Ivan was about to ask if they really hadn't received flowers from Oliver, when Oliver himself appeared. Ivan tilted his head and looked back from Oliver to Dirk and Sherry, his mouth hung open.

"Oh, Oliver! Ivan was just talking about you!" Sherry said.

Oliver laughed deeply and scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, was he?" he chuckled and blushed. "I'm embarrassed."

"What?" Ivan spat. "Don't be embarrassed - it's nothing bad; not at all. You gave me a flower every day and we were just saying how diligent you were and how amazing your flowers were."

Oliver shrugged and nodded. "I'm... still embarrassed, hehe."

Ivan sighed. He lowered his voice a bit and stepped towards Oliver. Oliver didn't flinch or anything at all. "You... Did you give everyone flowers? Am I the only one you gave flowers to?"

Oliver smiled and slinked away without a word, saluting to the three. "The results are about to be announced!"

Just as Oliver said, the mayor, Felix, stood in the center of the square and bellowed, "Thank you all for coming!" and all the townsfolk gathered exitedly.

"And now to announce who gave out the most flowers! The winner is..." The crowd sat silently, waiting for Felix's word. Ivan, who had also given out his share of flowers, decided that even if Oliver didn't give out flowers to Sherry and Dirk, he could still have given them to everyone else. So it Ivan might not be the only person who got flowers from him. It was embarrassing to be the only one to receive flowers from someone. It was a bit romantic, and strange since Oliver had just moved to Zephyr Town.

"...Daisy! Congratulations!"

Everyone said their congratulations, the crowd rumbling. Daisy smiled and flushed, hardly able to believe she had won, but was very happy. For a moment, Ivan didn't move, finding it difficult to piece together what had happened, but he told her congratulations and then crawled out of the crowd and found Oliver. They made eye contact and Oliver smiled and Ivan looked away and back again. Oliver waved Ivan to sit at one of the tables outside the cafe.

"You were right," he whispered on their way to the table.

Ivan sat down first. He folded his arms over the table and crossed his legs. When Oliver situated himself, Ivan asked again, "I'm the only one you gave flowers to?" Quietly, even though probably no one outside their bubble would hear them.

Oliver smiled and nestled his head in his arms, petting some of his dark hair back. "Yep."

"Why?"

Oliver shrugged. "I didn't have a whole bunch of flowers prepared. I /did/ just move here."

Ivan frowned. "Then, why me? We just met."

"Uh-?" Oliver, surprised, sat up. "I just like you is all. I guess... I value what our relationship could be."

"What relationship could a farmer and a tutor have?" Ivan asked, his voice hinting at his unrest.

Oliver raised his eyebrows, as if coaxing Ivan to say it.

Ivan lowered his voice and his eyes flitted around. He lay his hand down on the table. Lay his words, shakily, down. "We are... we are both men... of... of unrelated work. What are you..." he swallowed. "What are you suggesting?"

Oliver paused. Looked Ivan in the eyes. "You know how, even shortly after meeting, the children you teach can develop feelings for each other? Those childish feelings occur in adults, too. Crushes. Love at first sight. Traditionally a boy and a girl. A juvenile thing. Though..." He pushed out his chair and stood up. Ivan looked up at him, and Oliver stepped over, reaching for Ivan's hand, which curled into a fist. Oliver's touch was light and his breath on Ivan's ear was soft. "What I crave is a little more taboo."

It happened smoothly and quickly. Oliver then slipped away from Ivan's side. Ivan was left in a momentary trance before looking back at Oliver. No one noticed them, with their quiet voices, at their table in the middle of the slowly dissipating crowd. No one thinking they could possibly be saying anything of interest.

Ivan's mouth clamped shut. He didn't argue. He saw children in the city. They were different from the children in town, however close they may be. But this was where all children - all people - met. And there were some children, Ivan noticed over the years, like Oliver. Children like himself.

"Ivan," Oliver murmured, "I intend to seduce you."

Ivan sighed and got up from his chair. He faced Oliver. "I don't think that will be necessary," he said. His face was reddening.

Again, Oliver shrugged. "Yes, well, hardly anything is."

The crowd had dwindled to a small handful of people. Everyone else had returned to their regularly scheduled business. Even Ivan's brother had left.

Oliver cocked his head to the side. Opened his mouth wide. "To anyone else, we look like two regular gentlemen on the street having a nice chat. Isn't the idea that it's something more than that /exciting/?" He smiled. "Gods forbid somebody get the 'wrong' idea, you know?"

"I'm sorry, but I really must leave," Ivan mused stoically, dismissing what Oliver said.

"Well, I guess I shall leave you, then." Oliver stepped back and bowed. "I have to go back to the farm. Try not to think too much, Teach." And he was off.

Ivan's shoulders felt tense. He almost felt angry, like he had been made a fool of. But really, he was embarrassed that Oliver seemed to manipulate him easily. That he was able to see through Ivan so easily. He ran off back to his house, not wanting to be outside any longer. The spring was beginning to feel far too warm.


End file.
